About the Exhibition

The NCSU Libraries, from January
5 through April 4, 2001, will
celebrate the career of Jim Graham,
who served as North Carolina’s
commissioner of agriculture for
more than thirty years. The exhibit,
in the circulation lobby of
the D. H. Hill Library, highlights
one of North Carolina’s most cherished
public servants and one of
NC State’s best-known graduates.
Entitled “The Sodfather: A Friend
of Agriculture in North Carolina,” the exhibit describes Graham’s
work to promote and develop agriculture
in North Carolina.
From an image of the commissioner as president of the Cleveland High School Chapter of the Future Farmers of America, to a photo of the 1978 dedication of the Jim Graham Building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, this exhibit illustrates the trajectory of Graham's involvement with agriculture. Complementing
the documentation of
Graham’s achievements are materials
drawn from the library’s Special
Collections Department, which
show how the state’s largest land grant
university has contributed
to the improvement of North
Carolina’s economic bases.

Additionally, friends and
family of Commissioner Graham
have created the Jim and Helen
Ida Kirk Graham Agricultural
Heritage Endowment to acquire
books, journals, and electronic media relating to
agriculture for the general library collections.
Another initiative entails identifying and collecting
the records of agricultural leaders, organizations,
and businesses involved in agriculture or
agribusiness activities in North Carolina. The
library will gather unique source materials in
fields such as tobacco cultivation and manufacturing,
hog farming, poultry production, and dairy
farming. These resources will permit students and
researchers to explore major developments in the
state’s economic history.
Additionally, a virtual exhibit mounted by Special
Collections will enable off-site perusal of
exhibit materials, as well as the opportunity to
read The Sodfather, Jim Graham’s recollections of
his career as “a friend of agriculture.” Governor
James B. Hunt, Jr., noted that, “Jim Graham
has done more for our farmers and the agriculture
industry than anyone in the history of our state.” William Friday, president emeritus of the University
of North Carolina, eloquently said of him, “I
know that his energies and dedication have been
spent building a greater state and for that uncommon
spirit and commitment, we owe him our
profound gratitude.”